I have two questions:

Has anyone been able to successfully print out the Session grid PDF so that it is readable to the naked eye?

The next question is actually for Blackbaud:

I see where they are going green and issuing USBs in lieu of printed materials.  Does this require a laptop be brought?  Or are we just supposed to print down our own stuff?

I didnt think I was that technically challenged, but maybe I am?

No I have not been able to print out the session grid so it's readable without a magnifying glass!

 I printed out the session grid on 11 x 17 paper, it is still very small but readable.

I can't tell if I'll be able to print it out as I am still waiting for it to download.  

 Yohoo Blackbaud folks:  Could we have a pdf that doesn't have all the color and photos so downloading would be easier?

I also thank you in advance for the USB idea - I barely got all my materials packed in my bag to come home last year!

Deeanne
 

Hi all! Sorry about all the trouble printing the grid. As mentioned above, you can print it on 11x17 paper. But more importantly, everyone will be receiving a printed color version when you check-in at registration. Next year, if we choose an unusual format for the grid, we'll make sure a more printer-friendly version is available via the web.

The big thing we are not printing this year is all the session slides - that's almost a phone book worth of material, which will now live on your USB drive. All presentations are available at Conference Central as well. If you want to view the presenter's slides during a session (other than on the big screen at the front of the room), you will need to print them out ahead of time, or pull them up on your laptop.

I'll admit I haven't kept up with stuff regarding the conference.  Can you explain the USB drive?  Were we sent one, will we get one when we check in, or what?  Will there therefore be no bags this year?

I'm lost.  I am trying to find the presentation slides for sessions and can't find them anywhere.  I tried the link from the newsletter but still couldn't find them.  Anyone found them successfully?

The link to the presentations is on Conference Central now. We were just waiting as long as possible because there are still a few missing.

@Melissa: Two changes from previous years... 1) instead of getting printed out session slides in your Conference bag, they will be on a thumb drive, and 2) Instead of getting access to the session PDFs after the Conference, you get access before.

A) Is conference central an actual different website than the BB website/events?  If so, why?

B) When I thought that maybe it was I went to the conference newsletter and clicked on the link to conference central and still could not find them.  Did you just now add it?

This link should work Melissa:

http://www.blackbaud.com/events/bb_conf/central/home.aspx

Barbara 

I found the link. 

Because in the past I got the book I have never downloded the .pdfs.  I am actually disappointed they are .pdfs and not powerpoint slides because of the printing options available in powerpoint where you can print multiple slides per page (up to 6).  Now that we are being eco-friendly - for the ones I choose to print out I have limited options for how they print and will likely use more paper than I need to.  I can maybe get Adobe to put 2 pages per sheet but I think that the powerpoint option is better.  Just some feedback for next year.

Yep, just now. I wasn't suppose to do this until tomorrow, but was just trying to help you all out.

Thanks for the feedback Melissa. I agree that PPTs are more funtional, but I don't think we have ever given away the actual PPT files. Most external speakers, and some internal, will not allow this because of IP. It's a lot harder to cutup and repurpose a PDF, which I can understand. I am hoping to use something like SlideShare in the future, just as a better way of sharing. 

I included notes in my PPT, and I wouldn't want those notes to be available to participants.

Drew

I sent a few people my ppt from last year - and I can send you the Crystal Reports from this year for those who are interested in it.  It's a lot of slides and animation.  (I have a note-free version to distribute).  I don't have any IP stuff on there.  Just bad jokes.

 I'm co-presenting an import session as well - so I would have to defer to the co-presenter about that ppt.  But often those type of presentations have good bullet points, but the real important stuff is actually discussed.

I like the 4-page slides printing/PDF idea, but some presentations have so much detailed info that it makes it hard to see that stuff when you go 4-slides to a page. 

Slide share is a great idea for 2009.  I'm actually happy to see everything put on a USB drive.  The books were big last year, and there were some presentations that didn't apply to me (Sorry, education track).  I did enjoy reading the bios of the speakers - as it did help me decide which session to go to when there were two good sessions at the same time. 

Looking forward to seeing everyone, learning a lot, leaving inspired, and no flight delays.

Regards,

Joe Meehan